Archive

So, its the end of the Summer. Dammit. If you live in Seattle, you are probably wondering whether it actually ever began. Plagued with bad weather through the warm months, most of us simply keep waiting for it.

But alas, the end of Summer brings positives. Namely – IPA. Typically, brewers start accessing hop crop and can begin dry-hopping their tasty hop bombs. This allows many to hold their hop festivals, serving the best in IPA grog.

Brouwers Cafe Hopfest

We are huge fans of Brouwers Cafe’s Hopfest, which goes down on September 10, 2010 at 11 AM. The festival will showcase some 60 IPAs on tap. It promises to be one of the best attended beer events in Seattle, each year.

Typically, Brouwers rounds up a keg of Pliny the Younger and Firestone Double Jack for the occasion. Lets hope it happens again.

Keep checking out their website for more details. A recent tweet was sent requesting that brewers start sending word to the bar whether or not they will be sending a beer for the festival. We should soon know what will be poured.

Yakima Fresh Hop Festival

The altar of hop might be the annual Fresh Hop Festival in the hop valley that is Yakima, Washington. Producing more than 70% of the hops used in American beer, makes Yakima the source for the freshest hops on the planet.

Each year, the Fresh Hop Festival puts about a dozen brewers to the test of producing a “fresh hop” ale, made with hops plucked from the vine less than 24 hours before they are placed in the kettle. In the past, Laughing Dog Brewing, Snipes Mountain Brewing and Iron Horse Brewing have put out favorites.

This festival is held October 3, 2010 from 5PM – 10PM in the heart of downtown Yakima. You can typically grab a hotel within blocks of the event for about $100.00, but you want to grab that soon. They book quickly.

Parkway Tavern’s IPA Festival

Finally, the Parkways Tavern IPA Fest is already taking shape. The event will be held at Parkway’s excellent pub in the historic area of Tacoma, on September 28-29.

Parkway sent out a preliminary list of beers today, which includes the following:

(some impressive choices are bolded)

Anderson Valley Anniversary Imperial

Avery Maharaja Imperial

Bear Republic Racer 5

Beer Valley Leafer Madness Double

Big Time Bhagwan’s Best

Big Time Scarlett Fire

Black Raven Trickster

Boulder Mojo

Boundary Bay Imperial

Caldera

Diamond Knot

Dick’s Imperial

Dogfish Head 90 Minute

Elysian Idiot Sauvin

Everybody’s Brewing Goodwill

Firestone Walker Union Jack

Fremont Interurban

Full Sail Spotless

Georgetown Lucille Cask

Great Divide Titan

Green Flash West Coast

Harmon Single Hop

Hopwork’s Organic

Hale’s Over the Hop

Lagunitas Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’

Laughing Dog Devil Dog Imperial

Laurelwood Workhorse

Left Hand 400lb Monkey

Maritime Pacific Double Dry Hopped Imperial

Midnight Sun Meltdown Double

New Belgium Ranger

Ninkasi Dry Hopped Tricerahops

Northern Lights

Oskar Blues Gubna Imperial

Pike Double IPA

Port Brewing Mongo

Port Townsend Imperial (rarely seen)

Schooner Exact Virgil Imperial Cask

Scuttlebutt Hoptopia Double

Southern Tier Randall

Stone 14th Anniversary Emperial

Stone Double Dry Hopped

Two Beers Peach-Infused Summer Hop

Victory Hop Wallop Randall

Walking Man Homo Erectus

Widmer Deadlift Imperial

Hope to see you all out for same IPA sipping this summer! Let us know if there are any other events coming up that bear mention here at Beer Blotter!